Of Bitter Rivals
by Symphonic Fantasia
Summary: [AU] Since he was young, Daichi had only ever been home schooled. Now that he has a chance to attend high school, he wouldn't let it pass him by. Being in school, though, isn't what he dreamed it would be. While everything lived up to his expectations, he never expected to receive and impromptu rival: Manjoume Jun.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: It's been a while since I wrote anything involving these two. Heck, it took me a while to know that their ship is called HORNETshipping and not GREENshipping. I've been calling them that for years! Anyway, I had this idea in my head for a while, so I wrote it. Hope you enjoy it. uwu  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, blah blah, you know the drill. If you have any information on the series in general, check the first few chapters!  
**

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He was always told that the first day of school would be an intimidating one. He fidgeted with his satchel as he sat in the office. His mother was in the chancellor's office, leaving him alone with the various students that entered and left the office. They stared at him as they came and went while he did his best to smile and seem kind to them all. There was a part of him that believed it made no difference what he did. The other part said confident and do his best. This was clearly a task that was easier said then done.

"You're all set, Daichi." He stood up as his mother walked out of the office. She held out a piece of paper to him, one she was quite reluctant to let go when he took hold of it. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Daichi smiled. "It is. Mother, I will be fine. There is nothing you need to worry about."

Even at age sixteen, Daichi towered over his mother. She was such a small thing and he saw now that she was. So small and fragile. His mother sniffled. It was clear to see that she was ready to cry in front of everyone in the office. Daichi pulled out his handkerchief from his back pocket and handed it to her. "Oh, no, dear. You will need it," she sniffed. Finally, she let go of the paper, allowing her son to fold it and slip it into his breast pocket. "I will see you later; when you get home."

"Mother," Daichi laughed, holding her in a hug. "You will see. Everything will be fine." Feeling his mother nod against his shoulder, they pulled apart. He gave her a smile and walked her to the entrance hall of the school. Daichi, like the gentleman he was, waited until his mother was out of sight before pulling out his schedule. Looking at it, he deduced that the lessons would be relatively easy.

Ever since he was a child, Daichi Misawa was always home-schooled. It was something his mother and father always wanted for their child. He learned all that there was to learn as a child and then some. It was clear that he had an intellectual caliber to rival even college students. His teachers challenged him to their best of their caliber yet he was able to floor them every time. Daichi wanted a challenge; he wanted to do something that he knew his parents wouldn't allow him to do: to go to a school with other students his age. It took many months of convincing from both Daichi and his personal teachers to urge his parents to allow it.

When they did, it was still a while before he could start a new semester. It was clear that even with his high level of education, if he so choose, Daichi could attend a college. This was something he didn't want to do, though. He wanted to meet kids his age; to make some friends for once in his life. So, his admittance into the eleventh grade of one of the prestigious schools in the city went through. Today would be his first day and, needless to say, excitement flowed through him. And nervous.

With the list in his hand, Daichi climbed the stairs and wandered through the school for his first class. To have science in the morning was a blessing for him. Out of all his subjects, he excelled in science. Science and math were the two subjects he knew he could do better than anyone. In a way, he hoped to impress not only his teachers but his fellow peers as well.

Standing before the door to his classroom, he took a deep breath. It was time.

He grabbed the handle and walked into the classroom. The murmured voices immediately quieted and he felt as if he was on display. Daichi walked further into the room, feeling all their eyes on him. "Sir? I believe I'll be your new student starting today?"

The teacher, with a smile never faltered even as Daichi interrupted the lesson. "Ah, yes. I have heard about you from Chancellor Sheppard. Now, let's see." He walked over to his desk and moved papers around until he found the right one. "You're Daichi Misawa, yes?" After receiving a nod, he laughed. "Welcome to the school! Why don't you go ahead and take a seat over there."

He walked down the many rows of students in their seats. He refused to meet any of their eyes, unsure of what the looks on their faces would be. He slipped once, though, looking down at another students face. The student stared back at him with piercing gray eyes. It sent a chill up his spine. He faltered beside the desk before urging himself to walk until he got to his seat. As soon as he sat down, the lesson began again. Studying and school was never a problem for Daichi. He stayed alert throughout the day and time usually went by fast.

This time was different, though. Intrigue had striked him by the student who caught his eye just a moment ago. He looked down the rows of students, doing his best to not fall out of his seat. Finally, he spotted the one, sitting a few seats away. His hair was awfully spiky. It seemed strange compared to his perfect uniform. Just what kind of person was he?

"Can anyone tell me the answer? Manjoume?"

The very boy he was staring at stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. "No. I don't."

"Hm, a shame. Anyone else?"

Daichi looked at the board. He hadn't paid attention to the problem before when he walked into the class. Seeing it now, the answer was clear to him. Raising his hand, he waited until the teacher called on him before giving the correct answer immediately.

The teacher smiled. "Excellent, Daichi! It seems we have another genius in our class!" He turned around, continuing the lesson.

The students all continued their murmuring and Daichi heard his name mention a few times here and there. He was sure that he didn't do anything wrong... yet he still felt as if he did. Looking down the row of students, he found Manjoume staring at him over his shoulder. Immediately he felt exposed and slouched in his seat. He darted his eyes everywhere to avoid looking at the student. Every time, though, he looked back at him before looking away again. Finally, Manjoume turned his attention back to the blackboard and he felt at ease. He straightened himself and paid attention to the lesson at hand.

The class went by quickly and with each question that the teacher had sent out, Daichi answered them in a timely manner. Every time, Manjoume looked back at him for minutes at a time before looking back to the front of the class. Every time he did, Daichi felt naked under his gaze. He never became nervous during lessons or tests, but the way Manjoume looked at him made him feel this way. It was unnerving.

The lesson ended and the students quickly filed out of the class. Once the last student left, Daichi rose from his seat and walked to the front of the class. He waited for the teacher to finish wiping the blackboard before deciding to ask his questions. "I don't believe I got your name at the start of the lesson."

"Ah, how forgetful of me! You'll see that I do that quite often. I'm Mr. Daitokuji." He laughed, fiddling with his glasses. "Although, most of the students call me Mr. Dai. You can call me whatever you wish."

Daichi smiled at the teacher. He could tell that he would most likely enjoy Daitokuji's company. He found in him an excellent teacher and he enjoyed his lessons. It helped extremely to see him so interested in science and how eagerly he talked about it. Already he knew that this would be his favorite teacher and no one else would be able to take his place. "Ah, I must go to my next lesson! It wouldn't be well for me to become late for them all, now would it?"

"No, it wouldn't. Go on and good luck!"

Waving at the teacher, Daichi hurried out of the classroom. Looking at his paper, he found that history was next and for two of his next lessons. Although he wasn't as great in history as he was in science and math, he knew he would be able to do his best. Keeping an eye on the floors and the classrooms, Daichi finally came to the classroom, with the door shut and a group of students stood near it. And there stood Manjoume, sitting on the floor with his cellphone in hand. What were the odds of him having two classes in a row with him?

With as much courage as he could muster, he walked over to the opposite wall and sat down on the ground. The only thing he could understand why they were out here was because of the teacher being late. He wondered how the school tolerated such a thing. Was it not their job for them to arrive on time no matter what? Not even his home school teachers were late. They were always prompt and on time, regardless of what else happened in their lives. He suppose it would be something normal in his school life that he must become accustomed to. He took a deep breath and sighed before looking around at the other students.

Once again, he found Manjoume staring at him. He truly wish he had the courage to ask him why he was doing this. Other than being able to answer all the questions in science (something he didn't believe was wrong), he couldn't understand why he would have earned his attention. The way he stared at him made it feel as if he had done something wrong. He knew there was nothing wrong with what he had done. Manjoume had something against him and he simply wished he knew why. Could they not be friends?

"Morning, class! Sorry I'm late," the teacher said, running down the hall. "Let's get this class started!" She opened the classroom door and the students filed in quickly, Manjoume being the first and Daichi being the last.

History was almost the same as science. Unlike before, though, Manjoume answered just as many questions as he did. Whispers filled the room of a "competition" forming between him and Manjoume. They claimed that now Manjoume had a rival to go against during all the tests and then some. Was this how school really like? Nothing but whispers and others talking about you? Even if this was true, it did not discourage him. Daichi would be motived to make this work for him.

After history, in his next few classes, he found that Manjoume was not in them. This gave him much relief since now he didn't have to hear anyone whispering about him. He was able to go throughout his lessons without anyone comparing him to Manjoume or talking to him as if he wasn't even there. His earlier discomfort soon disappeared and he had completely forgotten about it.

The lunch bell rang and the students in their various classes flooded out, desperate to fill their stomachs after such a long day. Daichi was no exception. He was so nervous this morning that he could hardly eat anything besides a slice of buttered toast. Now that he could fill his stomach with food, he knew his day would go a lot smoother. Standing up, he rushed out of the class along with the other students. He wondered what the food at the school would be like. He was sure it would be delicious. Anything was better than his mother's usual lasagna for lunch.

"Hey. You're the new guy, right?"

The voice was feminine and he surely wasn't expecting to hear it so close to his ear. Daichi jumped slightly, looking towards the voice. A blonde haired girl walked beside him, a smile on her face. "O-oh, hello. Yes. I-I am Daichi Misawa."

"Yeah, I heard," she said, her smile never faltering. "I'm Asuka Tenjouin. I'm in a few of your classes. Rumor is spreading pretty fast that you're the smartest kid in the eleventh grade."

"Rumors?"

Asuka nodded, shoving her hands into her blazer pockets. "Of course. It's a big school but give the students just the smallest bit of gossip and it'll spread like fire throughout the school. They're even talking about how you're smarter than Manjoume."

There was that name again. The name of the student that stared at him and sent chills down his spine. He wish he could really understand what he felt when he saw and heard about him. Since he had no classes with him, he assumed that the worse of the feeling was over. Clearly that wouldn't be the case for as long as he remained in the school. "Asuka, may I ask you something?"

"Sure! Think it can wait until lunch, though? You're starving and so am I," she answered. Grinning, she nudged him with her elbow. "Besides, there's some friends of mine I want you to meet." Seeing Daichi's surprised expression, she laughed. "What? You didn't expect to go through the school year without any friends, now did you? It'll be a pretty lonely time if you didn't have any."

Daichi gave her a warm smile. He had made his first friend of the year and this pleased him. When he told his parents and former teachers, he was sure they would be pleased; his parents especially. Daichi followed Asuka to the lunch room and to the line of the cafeteria.

"So, what was your question?" Asuka asked, taking a lunch tray.

"It's about... Manjoume."

She looked at him with a frown. "What about him? He do something bad to you already?"

Daichi's eyes widened slightly at this question. Why on Earth would Manjoume be cruel to him? Was that something he did? "Uh... No, he hasn't. Is that a recurring problem with new students?"

"At times," Asuka said with a sigh. They moved further down the line, waiting their turn. "It's not just an issue with new students. He's one of the smartest in our grade so he's got a territory issue about that."

This was something that Daichi had assumed. Although Manjoume has never glared or leered at him, he still stared at him with an emotion that he couldn't quite pinpoint that. "Is he like that to others close to his scores as well?"

Asuka smiled at the many lunch workers as they served her various and appetizing dishes. "Not to me, that's for sure. I was the second smartest student until you showed up. Now you're either the second or the first." She smiled at him. "Although, honestly, I think you're the first. Others are talking about it, too. Wouldn't surprise me if Manjoume was blowing a gasket about it."

"I wouldn't want him to feel intimidated by me..." Daichi muttered. After he being served, he followed Asuka down the rows of tables, feeling the eyes of various grades watching him.

"Don't worry about him. You just do what you do and relax." She rushed over to the table and sat down when a seat cleared for her. "Come on and take a seat." Timidly, Daichi sat beside her and took a look at the students sitting at the table. Two boys and two girls. The girls looked admirably at Asuka while, by a miraculous stroke of skill, staring lovingly at a boy with brown hair. While one boy looked stern, the other looked giddy and winked at every girl passing by. "Everyone, this is Daichi Misawa, the new guy."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"Junko and Momoe are my best friends. Fubuki's my brother and Ryo is the top student for the twelfth grade," Asuka said, introducing the ones at the table.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Ryo interlaced his fingers together, staring at Daichi almost critically. "I've heard a lot about you."

This was what Daichi was afraid of. He didn't want the rumors to reach the other grades, more importantly older grades. He could only imagine what the younger grades were saying about him. "I'm sorry."

Suddenly, he smiled. "You have no reason to apologize. The rumors are good ones and you have no reason to ashamed for your brilliance."

"Ryo's right!" Fubuki agreed around a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "Besides, I think it was about time Manjoume got a kick in the ass for being all high and mighty."

"Fubuki!"

"He's right, though, Asuka," Ryo interjected. "For too long Manjoume has believed that he was better than those around him. Now that there is someone who is clearly better than in the school, perhaps he'll think better of himself."

Daichi looked between the three. He wasn't sure how to feel about this conversation. He didn't want to believe that Manjoume was a terrible person. Truthfully, he believed that he was a good person if only someone got to know him. Although, the rumors were certainly starting to tell him otherwise. This was something he did not want to admit. It was hard, but he wouldn't let himself be swayed by believing that he was a terrible person.

Asuka watched Daichi with interest, sensing that he was uncomfortable with the topic. "Let's talk about something else, guys. Daichi's gotta be sick of hearing all this." Without another word, the topic changed, the other two girls leading it without a problem. Daichi smiled at the blonde who simply smiled back at him. He appreciated her effort and the topic change.

Lunch and even the rest of the day continued without another problem. In a few other classes, he spotted Asuka and the girls within his classes. At times, he sat with them but at other times, he sat by himself. His thoughts were too clouded with not only the lessons but also about the situation involving Manjoume. In what way can he grab the boys friendship. Whenever he switched classes, he had glimpsed Manjoume and how he shunned those around him. To Daichi, it looked as if Manjoume lived a very lonely life.

The last bell ran and everyone ran out of their classes more quickly than they had at lunch. Daichi moved his way through the students. He had no intention to return home just yet, even if his mother was expecting him. Before he went home, he wanted to see Mr. Daitokuji before he went home. There were many things about school life that he wanted to talk to him about. He arrived at the teacher's classroom just as he was locking the door. "Good afternoon, Mr. Daitokuji."

"Ah, Daichi, it's nice to see you. How has your day been?" the teacher asked. His smile was still big and warm. Daichi's conclusion was one that said he smiled all day.

"It has gone well with few casualties."

"I suppose it involves Manjoume?" Daitokuji chuckled at Daichi's grim expression. "Come. We can talk about it as we walk." Daichi quickly fell into step with the teacher as they walked through the school. "Has anyone talked to you about him?"

"I have made some friends during lunch. They have told me what they knew about him." He frowned, looking down at the tiles of the hall. "They weren't kind things."

Daitokuji made a small humming sound in his throat. "I do not blame them. Manjoume has not had a good reputation ever since he joined. It was clear to many of the student board to see that he was smarter than those in his grade. Manjoume clearly knew this as well and he used it to his advantage. Doing this is clearly not a way of making friends."

"I have noticed."

"But?"

Could he really tell that there was a 'but'? Daichi believed he was smart so he didn't put it past the teacher. "There should a way to come on good terms with him."

He smiled. "I like your spirit, Daichi, but as the top student now, I don't believe Manjoume will be willing to make friends with you. Not at the moment or ever, I'm afraid."

He refused to believe this. Daichi knew that there was some way to come to common ground with Manjoume. There was a mathematical formula and he would find it. Even if he was up for countless nights to figure it out. "Well then, I hope you don't mind me trying."

"You can try. Although, there are many in the school who will think your efforts would be for nothing," Daitokuji warned, his face suddenly stern. "I am sure you will be fine, though."

For a moment, his situation became one of concern. He had never seen his teacher with such a look on his face. It made him doubt himself for a moment but seeing Daitokuji's smiling face again filled him with relief. Now, there was confidence inside him; confidence he needed. "Do you have any suggestions as to where I should start?"

He thought for a moment, stopping at the top of the stairs. "From what I hear, Manjoume is usually found in the boys locker room for the gym. I believe he thinks his things are more safer there. It would give you a good chance to speak to him alone."

This was just enough leeway. "Thank you, sir." Without another word, Daichi flew down the stairs. Asuka had given him a rundown of the school on their way to their next lesson and even during a class. While the girls locker room for gym remained on the first floor, the boys was down in the basement. It was a weird way of having things, but he certainly wasn't an architect. Daichi directed himself through the basement until he finally came to the locker room. He slipped inside, finding rows of lockers and benches. He looked down every row, hoping to see him. As his hopes dwindled, sounds started to reach his ears. It was the most curious thing he had ever heard. Never before had he heard such a thing before. Unless some students were kissing down here.

...He hoped that wasn't the case.

"Right there..."

"You seem more agitated than usual. Something wrong?

That voice. He knew one of them. Daichi frowned, trying to b as quiet as possible as he sneaked around the many green coated lockers.

"Some idiot schoolmate."

"That new one?"

"Yeah."

He didn't like not knowing who was talking to him. The voices were closer and closer now. Turning around a corner, he stared at the sight before him.

Manjoume remained flushed against the lockers, a sheen of sweat on his face. His limbs wrapped around the male in front of him, holding him close to his body. Daichi understood clearly now. All the sounds he heard, what they were doing; having sex within the locker room. It seemed like such a... cliché thing to do. At first, Daichi wasn't sure how to feel about what he was seeing before him. Then, all at once, it hit him. He felt embarrassed and ashamed at himself. Instead of leaving right away, he wasn't sure how long he had stared them. His face grew hot and he backed away slowly.

Daichi had no chance to take three steps back before Manjoume opened his eyes. Stormy gray eyes stared at him with no sense of emotion. Daichi felt more uncomfortable than he originally was. As he took another step back, Manjoume grinned at him before moaning particularly loud.

Quickly, he left the locker room, hoping to get this event quickly from his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: Whoot! It's been a while since I could write so fast. You know, assuming the chapter wasn't already pre-written for a queue. This, however, was not. I'm just so totally uber motivated to write this. Eeyup.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, blah blah, you know the drill. If you have any information on the series in general, check the first few chapters!  
**

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"Daichi, are you all right? You've hardly eaten your dinner."

He looked up at his parents. They looked at him with concerned expressions, their brows furrowed. He smiled at them. "I'm fine, mother. Today was just... very tiring. It had indeed a long day."

His mother reached over and placed a hand on his forehead. "You are a bit pale but you don't have a fever. After such a tiring day, are you sure that you would like to continue going? We could pull you out if you want to."

Daichi sternly shook his head. "Mother, I am fine. Please don't fret over me."

"Junko, he is right," his mother interjected, wiping his mouth. "Daichi is old enough to care for himself at this point. He will be fine. Now, please continue eating. You are looking paler than he is."

"But-"

"I should go and do my homework. Would you mind if I finish my dinner in my room?" Daichi asked, finally freeing himself from his mother's hand.

His mother opened her mouth to interject before her husband cleared his throat. Looking at him, she sighed. "Of course, dear. Don't forget to bring your dishes down when you're done."

Daichi stood up and kissed his mother on her forehead. "Thank you. I will see you both in the morning." Grabbing his plate, he left the dining room and walked up the stairs. As soon as he was in the safety of his room, his troubles came back to him. The scene he had seen earlier at school was still embedded into his mind. The way Manjoume had looked at him while his partner thrust inside him. And that grin he gave him... It sent chills down his spine.

He sat at his desk and buried his face into his hands. This was a mathematical equation that he couldn't figure out. He tried the various answers but they always made it worse. There was nothing he could do about it. It had unnerved him so much that he was unable to eat. Although he hadn't eaten since lunch, his stomach felt tight and full. Daichi knew it was a cause of stress (something that his mother went through many times) but there was no helping it. All he could do was wait it out.

Even if waiting was the hardest thing to do.

~~~

When morning arrived, Daichi was out of the house before his mother could see him. He didn't want her fretting over him like she did the other day. If she were to worry herself sick, Daichi would never be able to forgive himself. No, he knew it would be best to put on a smile through his troubles and tell her that everything was fine. It was the only way.

The school was a twenty-minute walk from his house, but he didn't mind. Walking helped to clear his mind. Running had the same effect, but he saw no point in getting sweaty before school. Until the situation became worse, he would save running for another time. Arriving at the school, a limousine pulled up at the school's gates. It was obvious by the school's reputation and appearance that only the richest (or smartest) students went to the school, but seeing such a car up close for the first time put him in a state of awe. He stopped to stare at it, taking in its sleek appearance. When the owner stepped out, he lost his daze and immediately regretted coming to school so early.

Manjoume straightened out his uniform and ran his fingers through his spiked black hair. Was there ever a moment when he didn't do his best to look perfect? He heard some mumbled voices from within the car before the door slammed shut and the car drove off. It seemed that he hadn't noticed Daichi for a while (something that he was grateful for.) Despite his best efforts to sneak past the boy, he spotted him.

They stared at each other for a time, neither one of them moving. Finally, Manjoume sneered at him. Daichi looked away from him, not wanting to make eye contact now. He felt as if Manjoume inspected him under gaze for some time until he walked away into the school. Even with him gone, Daichi still felt like he was under the microscope with him. If Manjoume had no reason to dislike him before, he certainly had one now. So many questions fluttered around his head, questions he had calmed down last night. He did not understand what Manjoume's motives were or why he would do such a thing.

Daichi took a deep breath and counted backwards from ten. Once he felt calm, he strode into the school. He doubted that Mr. Daitokuji would be at the school already. Until he learned of the teacher's schedule, his first stop would be the computer room. There were things he wanted to look up that he couldn't at home. He was much too tired to do it and didn't have the energy to even try.

There were a few computers humming with life when he walked into the computer room. It was probably a product from the students of the school. He walked to one of them and shook the mouse, waking it up from its sleep mode. He opened the browser and typed in "Manjoume Jun" in the google search bar. As he expected, multiple answers appeared before him, and all of them centered around the Manjoume Corporation. He knew he had seen him before. He had been on various news reports with his older brothers.

Daichi frowned and rest his cheek in the palm of his hands. Manjoume had certainly done a lot in his life. He had won many awards since he was young in various topics along with a handful of Duel Monsters trophies. It seemed like such a strange hobby for him to have; dueling with cards of monsters and such. Still, he had to admit that Manjoume was amazing. It was such a shame, though, that he seemed so cruel and distant while he was in school. He still didn't understand why or what his reasoning was; and he wasn't sure if he was ready to find out.

After the incident, he still wasn't sure how interacting with Manjoume would be like. He could use violent and aggressive. It was likely that he had uncovered a secret that he had kept from the school or who knows how long. He truly didn't want to find out how he would be when they saw each other again.

The computer shut down suddenly along with the rest of the computers in his row. Daichi frowned and messed around with its power button. It still refused to come on, ending his research. "You're a pretty noisy person, aren't you?"

Daichi froze and gripped the end of the computer table tightly. His eyes went down the row of computers until he spotted Manjoume at the end, holding an electrical cord in his hand."I-I'm sorry...?" There was a grin on Manjoume's face; the same one from last time. He didn't like it one bit.

Manjoume dropped the cord and advanced upon him. This is what it's like when a lion approached an injured antelope. Daichi found he couldn't move from his seat. Even if he did, he doubt it would make any difference. Manjoume looked as if he could take him down in a single pounce. "Looking for me in the locker rooms and what were you doing just a moment ago? Googling me?" he asked. With his hands in his pockets, it was unclear to Daichi if he had a weapon or not.

This entire time, he stared into Manjoume's stormy eyes and finally he looked away. "I... I'm sorry. I just knew I had seen your face before... I had to find out how..."

"Fair enough." The voice was so close to his ear that he shuddered from the sensation. He backed away from him, causing him to let out a low laugh. "But what about yesterday in the basement? Now, why in the world were you there?"

Daichi stared down at the keyboard, biting his lip. "I... wanted to find you so that we can talk..."

"About?"

The words in his head sounded silly. How could he say them? Manjoume would laugh at him and he wouldn't be able to deal with that. He deserved an answer, though. He simply had to come up with a reason that wasn't the truth. "Well..."

"Don't sprout to me a lie."

Daichi froze and looked at him with wide eyes. "I-"

"I could practically see the smoke coming out of your ears," Manjoume answered. Pulling out a chair, he sat down next to Daichi and leered at him. "Why were you following me?"

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I simply wanted to see if we could get along."

He snorted and rested his cheek in his hand. "And what? Be friends?"

Of course it sounded ridiculous. He knew Manjoume would see it as such. "That would have been the case..." Hearing a soft gasp, looked up at the other's face. He saw such a shocked expression on Manjoume's face. It was gone just as quickly as it came, though.

He scoffed and rose from his seat. "Don't go snooping around again. And leave me alone while you're at it." He shoved his hands into his pockets and stalked off from. Daichi watched him as he walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

What had just happened?

The bell rang, signaling the start of the school day. Realizing he was late for math, he grabbed his bag and rushed out of the computer room, passing the computer teacher as he did so. He pushed through the students as fast as he could. Asuka greeted him as he passed her but he paid her no mind. He didn't want to arrive, no matter what. Just as the late bell rang, he ran into the classroom.

"Ah, Daichi. There you are," Mr. Daitokuji said, staring at the boy as he tried to catch his breath. "All you all right?"

Daichi nodded his head, cringing at hearing the students snicker at him. "Y-yes... I am..."

"Wonderful! It's time to start today's lesson. Please take your seat."

Nodding again, Daichi walked down the aisle of students. As he passed Manjoume, he stared at the wall in the back. He wouldn't look him in the eyes no matter what; not again. For a moment, he almost faltered and looked down at the black-haired student. At the last moment, though, he persevered and continued to his seat. Sitting down, he let out a sigh. He only had to survive two classes with Manjoume. It would be easy so long as he didn't pay attention to him.

Math and History went by with little error. As usual, either Daichi or Manjoume had answered the questions that the teacher had asked. Daichi did his best to hold back, but he found that he couldn't. It wasn't like him to just hold back when he knew the answers. Besides, he found it helped pass the class faster. Working with new teachers, he learned that if no one answered, the teachers were quite tormenting during the class. To save the class, he answered what he could.

It served another purpose as well. If he let his mind wander off the lesson, he found himself thinking about Manjoume and all that had happened between them in less than 24 hours. Thinking about it made him feel ill and going home early on his second day wasn't an option. It would only serve to worry his mother more. If he could survive until lunch, he would be alright.. After that, he would be able to, hopefully, get more answers to his new questions.

The lunch bell rang, much to his relief. Grabbing his bag, he rushed out of the classroom before any of the other students could leave. "Asuka!" he called out to her just as she left her classroom. "There's something I must ask you."

Asuka smiled at him as he fell into step with her. "Sure. What do you want to know?"

"It's... It's about M-Manjoume..."

At this, she frowned and her eyes narrowed. "Jeez, is he still bothering you? Want me to talk to him?"

Daichi shook his had. "Not at all. I-I just need you to answer my questions. That's all."

Although she sighed in frustration, she smiled at him. "Alright, alright. I'll help you. What do you want to know?"

He opened his mouth for a moment before looking around at the crowd around him. It wouldn't be wise to ask these questions here. Anyone could hear them and it would eventually reach Manjoume's ears. After that, he knew it was only a matter of time before Manjoume came after him about it. "Is there another place we can talk about this?"

"Meet me on the roof in ten minutes. No one really goes up there. Get some lunch and we can go."

It seemed safe enough. If no one went up there, he couldn't find any other place to ask his questions. Daichi nodded his head and left Asuka's side. Hunger wasn't an issue with him today. If it happened later, he would catch something after school. Reaching the roof, he took deep breaths of the cool air. Up here, he felt his worries disappear. Almost instantly, he felt better. It was a feeling he knew wouldn't last for long, but he would savor it none the less.

Daichi sat down and leaned against the wire fence. He was content with just spending his entire lunch up here where there was quiet. Where he wouldn't have to ask uncomfortable questions to anyone. Just rest and relaxation.

"So, what did you want to ask me about?"

He jumped, having not realized she had come so soon. "Ah, it's a bit... embarrassing."

"Fubuki is my brother and, let me tell you, nothing get's more embarrassing than him."

This reassured him only a bit. He highly doubt what he had to ask was anything that Fubuki had ever done. "Is anyone aware of Manjoume's... romps-"

"In the locker room?"

He stared at her, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. "How did you know?"

"One of his old boyfriends told me after he got drunk." She snickered. "He was so depressed he drank himself into a stupor! It was really quite hilarious."

His brow furrowed and he brought his knees to his chest. "So it's a common thing?"

"At least every few months. He always likes someone new to screw around with," Asuka answered. "Why? Did you find him down there?" She laughed at his blushing face. "I'll take that as a yes. Has he threatened you yet?"

"Not... exactly..."

"Hm?" Daichi could hear the confusion and doubt in her voice. If he was in her shoes, he would be the same. It did sound like something impossible. "Then what did he do?"

Daichi rubbed at a scruff mark on his new shoes. "He asked me what I was doing down there and when I told him my answer... ... When I told him, he told me to leave him alone."

Asuka let out a small gasp. "Are you for real? He didn't threaten to get you kicked out of school or make sure your family suffers or something?"

"Not at all. I assumed he would do such things, as well," Daichi answered. He laughed. "You make him sound as if he is part of the mafia, Asuka!"

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me if it was true!" Asuka laughed all the same, leaning further into the wire fence. For a while, they sat in the tranquil quiet of each other's company. Daichi had other questions to ask, but he didn't want to impose on her eating. Lunch was always over before he knew it so it wouldn't be fair to take away her attention from her food. After a few minutes, Asuka sighed in content. "Was there anything else you wanted to ask me?"

"Yes, there was," he answered. "Does Manjoume have any friends inside this school?"

"If you use the term friend loosely. He has two lackeys that cater to his every whim, but they're pretty average students. They look up to him and admire him... but I wouldn't really call them his friends."

This frustrated Daichi. How could he get closer to him if he had no friends? For a moment, he assumed it would be easy to befriend those who were friends with Manjoume. Now that he couldn't do this, there was nothing left to do but give up. ... At least, this was the least logical side of him saying this. The smarter and logical side told him to not give up. It told him to do his best and find other ways to get to know his fellow classmate. It told him to treat it like an equation, and every equation could be broken. All he had to do was take his time and figure it out.

"Can I ask you something?"

Hearing that Asuka had questions of his own startled him. Daichi could understand how he could have questions to ask her, but what could she possibly ask or him? Homework help? No, Daichi knew that she was smart enough to handle her homework on her own. "Yes?"

Asuka hardly missed a beat in asking her question. "I get it's only the second day but you seem pretty hell bent in knowing about Manjoume. What gives with that? It's not like he's anything special."

He opened his mouth to say something... but found no words could be said. What was his real reasoning for wanting to get to know Manjoume? He admitted to himself that there was something about the boy, ever since he first laid eyes on him, that intrigued him. Unfortunately, he couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly. If he could, he would be able to give Asuka a logical answer. Since he couldn't, what was he suppose to tell her? All he could think of was... the truth. "To be honest, Asuka... I don't entirely know myself..."

"You're saying you don't really know at all?" Seeing him nod his head, she could only sigh. "Well, I guess that's how it is."

"You aren't upset at me?"

"Upset?" Asuka laughed. "Why? You didn't do anything wrong. I just wanted to know why someone as nice as you would be so interested in being 'friends' with the most meanest person in the school."

"I suppose it does sound ludicrous."

"Suppose? It's absolutely ludicrous." They shared a laugh together, the bell ringing as they did so. Asuka stood up, taking her lunch tray. "Alright. Let's head back and get this day over with. I'm tired!"

Daichi followed her back into the school, hauling his bookbag on his shoulder. They joined the rest of the students as they hurried on to their classes. There was the usual push and shove that Daichi had already become accustomed to. It was no better than while shopping in the city area. Everyone was always in a hurry. One particular shove sent him down to the ground, his bag hardly breaking his fall.

"Are you ok?!" Asuka asked, kneeling next to him.

Lifting himself up to his knees, he nodded his head. "Y-yes. I am..." Around him, he could hear a few students snickering. It was embarrassing. This was indeed a terrible feeling. He stood up and shrugged Asuka's hand off his shoulder. "Forgive me. I am holding you up from your class."

Asuke gave him a light shove. "You aren't so stop that. Are you sure you're ok, though?"

"I am. I'll see you in the next class, ok," he answered, quickly hurrying away from her. He didn't want to tell Asuka since he wasn't entirely sure if he was correct. He could have sworn, though, that he felt a pair of hands on his back when it happened. It was a strange assumption. Truthfully, he wasn't sure if he believed himself. Perhaps someone did push him. Perhaps... he was imagining it. He just didn't know what to make of it.

If someone did push him... why would they do it? It was probably a question he would never be able to answer.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: This actually took me longer than I had hoped. Whether or not it's an unoriginal AU doesn't mean it's easy to make it go the way I want it too. I finally did, though. AW YES. Enjoy it!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, blah blah, you know the drill.  
**

* * *

The rest of the school day passed on without any other event. Ever since Daichi had fallen on his way to class, nothing else had happened. Although part of him still wanted to believe that he had indeed been pushed, it just made no sense to his more logical side. He had done nothing wrong to anyone and he highly doubted that Manjoume would send someone after him. After their earlier talk, it didn't seem that Manjoume would do such a thing. No, he was confident that it was Manjoume. Not only that, he didn't believe it was purpose. Perhaps some students were rough housing and he just got in the mix. It was the only explanation he could come up with.

With school over, Daichi followed the rest of the crowd out of the school. He spotted Manjoume out of the corner of his eye and quickly walked away, not entirely sure if making eye contacting with him violated what he asked of him. He stood at the gates of the school and watched as he stepped into his limousine.

"Daichi? Are you ok?"

Daichi watched as the black limousine drove away before looking towards Asuka. "Yes, I am fine."

"Ok, good. You spaced out for a minute there," she said, shoving her hands into her blazer pockets. "Anyway, you got some spare time? If you do, we should grab a bite to eat! You gotta be starving and I'm still pretty hungry." Asuka smiled. "Besides, there are some friends of mine I want you to meet."

"Friends?"

"Yep! So, do you wanna come?"

At this moment, his stomach growled loud enough for them both to hear. "Well, this is embarrassing..."

Asuka laughed. "Come on. It'll be my treat!"

Daichi smiled and followed her further into the city. The walk was a comfortable one where they talked about each other back and forth. Other than Fubuki, Asuka had no other siblings where as Daichi was an only child. Her mother was a ballerina and her father was a journalist. It was nice to get to know her better. Already he felt as if they were becoming close friends. If he were to tell his mother about her, she would surely be happy. Not only that, she would be more calm and not worry as much as she usually did.

"You're ok with burgers, right?"

"I am."

"Great!" Asuka held open the door to establishment, which Daichi grabbed from her. He motioned for her to walk in first which, after bit of difficulty, she walked inside first. "They should have been here by now. They usually hang around here after school."

"Do they go to the Academia?" Daichi asked as they slipped inside a booth.

"Nope. They go to the local school nearby," she answered, immediately getting comfortable. "They're pretty cool, though. I think you'll like them. They're the type of guys that a home-schooled guy like you desperately needed in your life." Daichi wasn't sure if she was trying to offend or not by what she said. He opted to ignore it, knowing it would be better to do so. "There they are!"

Daichi watched as two boys came running over to them. While one wore a grin that would rival Mr. Daitokuji's, the other was struggling desperately to catch his breath. Unlike himself and Asuka, who had uniforms that were clean and prim, they wore more casual clothes and looked more comfortable. "Hey, Asuka! What's shaking?" one said, sitting down immediately next to her.

"Nothing at the moment, but there's someone I want you to meet." She nudged the boy who blew brown-and orange?-tufts from his face. "Judai, Sho, this is Daichi. He's the new kid at school I told you about. I saw no better time for you two to meet him than now~."

The grin on his face never faltered; not even for a second. "Nice to meet ya! Not sure if it's easy to tell, but I'm Judai. The little next to you is Sho."

Looking to his left, there was the little one. He noticed him before but he hadn't realized that he already sat down beside him. He wore a sullen look at his face, most likely from being called little. From what Daichi could see, he was much shorter than the average teenager. If one didn't know any better, one would assume he was an elementary school student. "Hi..."

"It's nice to meet you both," Daichi said with a smile. Before he could say another world, his stomach growled, falling upon everyone's ears.

Asuka chuckled. "I did say I was buying you a burger. I should probably do that now." She nudged Judai, practically shoving him. "Move it, buster. I'll pay for Daichi and you'll pay after calling him 'little' like that." Judai laughed but moved anyway. Together, they walked off to the counter, going through the crowds of students.

The air between himself and Sho was an awkward one. He didn't know what to talk to him about. Asuka had sent him out to sea without a life jacket. He suppose life was like that, at times. "Excuse me," a meek voice called up to him.

He looked at Sho, who was still pouting and staring at the table. "Uh, yes?"

"You've seen my brother in the Academia, haven't you?" he asked.

His brother? "I'm sorry, but I don't know who you-"

"Ryo Marufuji. He's... He's my brother..."

This was something that Daichi found difficult to believe. Someone as meek as this boy was Ryo's little brother? Why, it was almost comical. He dared not laugh, though. After the blow that Judai had given him, intentional or not, he didn't want to hurt his feelings even more. It wouldn't be right considering that he had just met him. "I have met him before. He's the smartest of his grade, right?"

Sho had a small smile on his face at this. "Yeah, he is. Ha ha..."

This was starting to feel even more awkward. Daichi, for the life of him, had no idea how to continue it. If Asuka and Judai were here, he was sure that they would be able to do it. Until they returned, he would have to put up with the silence. After a while, though, he couldn't stand the silence. "Have you tried applying to the Academia? Or were you much happier being in the local school?"

These questions only aided in making the awkwardness between them worse. He regret bringing it up. There was no way to recover from this. "I didn't even try to enroll. ... My father said it would be a waste of time for me to do so and... my brother agreed."

Sho had completely tugged at Daichi's heartstrings. He had never expected for Sho to say such a thing. Yes, there was a bit of coldness in Ryo's eyes, but he would have never imagined he would say something like this to his brother. It was terrible. "I'm... I'm sorry."

"No, don't be." Sho looked up at him and smiled. "You didn't know and that's ok. I'm just glad it's out-of-the-way now and not later." He looked back down at the table. "Judai tells me not to worry about it and he's really optimistic. My mother says he does wonders on me, apparently." His cheeks turned red and he buried his face in his hands, groaning loudly. "I'm sorry. I'm talking to much. I should stop."

Daichi chuckled and patted Sho's shoulder. "Now now, it's ok. I don't mind. It beats sitting in awkward silence!"

Sho laughed, finally pulling his hands away from his face. "Sorry about that. I'm not that good with meeting new people."

"He sure isn't! I was the first one who talked to him," Judai said as he arrived with Asuka, food on their trays. "he's getting better, though. A lot better."

Daichi smiled as Sho became even more flustered. "Well, it's good to see that he has a friend like you."

"Tell me about it. One time..."

The next two hours flew by quickly. Judai and Sho supplied both Asuka and Daichi stories of what happened to them during school or during the weekends. There were some stories that Asuka had heard before and she interrupted often to tell the story. Only once had his mother called to check up on him and, hearing that he was with friends, allowed him to stay with his friends. All in all, he was having fun. This could what it was like to have friends and hang out with them.

The sky grew darker and both Asuka and Sho expressed their concerns to return home before it got any later. "We should do this again some time," Asuka said.

"Sure! You can come along, too, Daichi," Sho said.

"Yeah! You were really fun to hang around. Maybe we can do something over this weekend!"

Daichi smiled at the three he had become friends with. "I would like that a lot." With a quick exchange of numbers, Daichi watched as Sho and Asuka went one way and Judai went the other. He had to walk a completely different way on his own, but he didn't feel alone. Asuka had become one of his first friends and now he had more to talk to. He had only started school yesterday and he was becoming happier and happier. So far, none of his mother's fears had come true. He never believed that they would, but he was glad that he had her peace of mind now. Hopefully, she would keep it.

He walked into his home, finding his parents in the living room watching "I Love Lucy" reruns. Daichi turned down his mother's offer for another meal and returned to his room. Not only was he exhausted but there was homework that had to-be taken cared of. He would get it done quickly and go to bed early. Heaven above knew that he deserved it.

The next three days passed by in a blur. School had become less stressful. He hardly thought about Manjoume and or anything that happened between them. Being friends with not only Asuka but Sho and Judai did wonders for him. Everything just seemed easier, as well. Daichi was smart, but when he arrived home from spending time with his friends, he found he had more energy to do his homework. Compared to the first two days of school, where tireness struck him every time he came home, it was an improvement that he was happy to have.

"Daichi! Are you excited for tomorrow?" Asuka asked, rushing into his classroom when the bell rang.

He smiled at her. Judai and Sho had won tickets in their school for Kaiba Land. Since he had never been there before, it was wasn't necessary to say that he was. "I am. I can hardly wait. I don't think I would be able to sleep tonight!"

"Well, you better," she stated, placing her hands on her hips. "We plan on getting on every ride!" She waited patiently for him to gather his books and pick up his bag. "I swear, you're going to have so much fun." As they left the classroom, Daichi stumbled as Manjoume pushed past him. Asuka narrowed her eyes at the other boy. "What a grouch. You ok, Daichi?"

Daichi chuckled, rubbing at his arm. "I'm ok. He hasn't really bothered me in a long time."

"He hasn't, huh. Well, I never expected him to after what you told me a few days ago. Maybe he's matured a bit." After a few moments of silence between, Asuka couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, right. Manjoume mature? It's ridiculous." They walked out of the school and Daichi escorted her to her limousine. "Sorry I can't hang out with you and the others today. I got two dance classes today."

"It's fine. I must bring my father his dinner up at the hospital."

"Want a lift?"

"No thanks," he answered with a smile. "I don't mind walking."

"Ok. See ya tomorrow!" Just as the limo started to pull away, she poked her head out of the window, "Text me later, ok?!"

Daichi waved as she drove off. Readjusting his bag on his shoulder, he set off further into the city. It took him two buses to get there and, by the time he did, it was already dinner time, but he didn't mind. He couldn't possibly imagine his mother doing it. She just might end up staying in the hospital if she strained herself too much. He was glad that she added an extra serving for himself. He was starving.

Walking into the hospital, he was hit with the smell of extra clean and medical supplies. Daichi made his way down the halls and smiled at the doctors and nurses. He knew most of them already due to the frequent trips he took to bring his father some food.

"Please stay still, Manjoume."

"If you didn't make it hurt so much, then I would!"

He froze before a door and, try as he might, he gazed in. He spotted his father hunched over Manjoume, stitching up a horrible gash above his eye. He couldn't believe that it was him. And how had he gotten that horrible cut on his head? Not only was there a cut, his eye had swollen and become black and blue. Quickly, he rushed on to the nurses station, feeling like he was intruding. It was twice now that he had seen Manjoume in an awkward situation. He was starting to feel that luck was no longer on his side. How could he face Manjoume again? Could he push this event out of his mind as he did the last one?

Truthfully, he wasn't sure that he could.

"Ah, Daichi. There you are." Looking up, he smiled at his father. "I was starting to think that you wouldn't show up."

"Mother wouldn't dare leave you to starve," Daichi said with a laugh.

"I suppose she wouldn't," his father responded. Chuckling, he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come. Let us eat." Daichi followed him to the cafeteria two floors down. There, they grabbed a few napkins and drinks before sitting at one of the many tables. "Well then, how has school been lately?"

"It's been... an adventure." Daichi wanted nothing more than to ask his father about Manjoume, but he knew he couldn't. It would break the doctor's code and his father wouldn't tell him even if there wasn't one. "I'm going with my friends to Kaiba Land tomorrow. I'm really excited."

His father smiled. "I'm glad you are enjoying yourself. Have you told your mother yet?"

"I haven't, but I'm sure she'll be excited."

"Myself as well." During their dinner, they talked about a few things involving his mother's condition. She was getting better and better as the days continued on. This was news that Daichi desperately wanted to hear. He would be able to stay out with his friends without her worrying for him and him worrying about her too much. They packed up the dishes and Daichi slipped it into his bag. "I will see you in the morning." His father chuckled. "Or perhaps I shall see you in the afternoon."

He smiled. "It sounds likely. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have fun!"

With a wave, he walked out of the cafeteria. It was certainly late. He hadn't expected to stay with his father for this long and he knew it would take some time to get home. The buses always ran later than usual and they appeared less often. It wouldn't surprise him if it took him the rest of the evening to get home. After arriving at the bus stop, he looked at the schedule posted on a pole. The next bus came in an hour. He groaned. It was always better for him to do it more than his mother. It didn't mean, though, that he liked waiting this long to get home.

He sat down on one of the many seats. The wait would certainly take a while.

Just then, a limousine pulled up slowly. At first, he assumed it would pass by until it stopped. The window rolled down and his breath caught in his throat. Manjoume stared at him, a cold look on his face. Daichi looked away, hoping that he would drive off soon.

"Get in."

Daichi refused to look at him. "H-huh?"

"Get. In."

Manjoume had said it with such coldness that it sent shivers down Daichi's spine. He suppose he couldn't ignore him now. He stood up and walked over to the car. Before he could open the door, the driver had appeared and did it for him. Daichi gave the driver a whispered thanks and crawled into the car. He sat across from Manjoume but refused to make eye contact with him. The air around them was uncomfortable and he wished he could jump out now. Suffering from a few injuries was a better scenario than suffering a ride with him. By car, it took twenty minutes for him to get home.

Just like that, Daichi found a way out. "Manjoume, I don't believe you know where I live. If you could leave me at the school, I would-"

"I know where you live. Just shut up. Your voice is so annoying."

Quickly shutting his mouth, he took the time to look around at the ride he was in. Daichi had never been in a limousine before. It was everything he had ever imagined. Soft seats, a decent size TV in the corner, cup holders and-was that a mini fridge? He was aware that the Manjoume family was rich, but he hardly expected them to have cars like this. This was a memory he would have burned in his mind for the rest of his life. Despite Manjoume being here and making him feel awkward, he would always remember this.

The car slowed to a stop. It took a minute for the driver to walk around and open the door. "You're here. Now, get out."

Daichi took this chance to look at Manjoume. Evidence always proved things and there was the evidence clear on his face. The black eye, the gauze that, most likely, hid the stitches. Manjoume didn't seem the type to do dangerous activities that might cause him an injury. He couldn't think of any other reason to his injury. It piqued his curiosity for a moment.

"You can go. Get. Out."

Flinching from his harsh tone, Daichi quickly left the car. "Thank you for the ride. I appre-"

"Shut up." Manjoume snapped his fingers and his driver closed the door. Daichi watched the limo drive away, not entirely surprised by his reaction. He had at least hoped Manjoume would take his thanks before leaving. Since there was nothing he could do about it, he walked into his home.

It was darker than usual. His only assumption was that his mother was asleep in her room. Perhaps a migraine had come upon her while he was gone and she was simply resting. Daichi hoped that this was the case and nothing more. His own nerves getting the better of him, he sneaked up the stairs and walked to his parents bedroom. He opened the door slowly and peeked his head in. His mother's bedside lamp was on and she indeed was laying down, a large book opened on her stomach.

She was his typical mother alright.

With a smile, he walked inside and took the book off her body. He closed it and shut her light before leaving the room again. Sighing, Daichi closed the door with a soft click before making his way to his own room. There was much that he needed to do for tomorrow. He couldn't let his meeting with Manjoume hinder his excitement.

Tomorrow he would have fun and he would enjoy himself, ignoring all the problems that had happened in the past week.

* * *

**Additional Author's Note: I should probably explain Daichi's parents. I believe that his father is a doctor while his mom was a college professor. I say was because now she's become so ill that she can no longer do her job and instead is a full time mom. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it. Anyway, as you can see, this is more of a filler. I have ideas, but they don't come until later. I should really think of stuff to happen before those happen. Blah.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: And there you have it. Manjoume's brothers have made an appearance. I just might start writing Jun instead of Manjoume. I think I will, anyway.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, blah blah, you know the drill.  
**

* * *

"Daichi! Come on! We gotta go!"

Daichi gave his mother a pleading look. Ever since he woke up, she smothered him without abandon. At first, he thought that she would be alright with him leaving for the entire day. Now that the day arrived, he was wrong. "Mother, please."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "All right, dear. Please be safe and have fun."

"I will." He grabbed his bag and hurried to the door. Outside, Asuka and the boys waited for him in a small beat up convertible. It wasn't what he was expecting but it certainly didn't dull his excitement! He hurried up to them, immediately being greeted with hoots and hollers. "Everyone ready to go?"

Judai grinned. He stood up out of his seat on the driver's side and leaned over Asuka. "Hell yeah we're ready! It took you forever, man. I almost thought you weren't coming!"

"I couldn't miss it," Daichi said, slipping in next to Asuka in the back. "How long will we be there for?"

"All day!" Sho piped up, pushing his friend back into his seat. "Whenever Judai and I go, we always go on every ride one time and then go on the tallest ride all day! You guys are going to have so much fun."

"They better!"

Asuka shook her head and Daichi chuckled. Judai revved up the car before taking off. The car bumped down the road and at times it felt like it would stop at any moment. The car survived the long trip all the way up to Kaiba Land. Daichi wasn't at all disappointed by what he saw. It was the biggest amusement park he had ever seen. The last one he had been to was a small kiddie one when he was a child. That was such a long time ago, though. Now he was at Kaiba Land. His entire body tingled with excitement to go inside.

Judai parked and quickly jumped out of the car. "Let's go, man! We're gonna go ahead and have some fun!"

He was the first one to run towards the park. Daichi and the other two took their time to gather their bags. In Judai's rush, he left his bag behind, leaving Sho to carry it. "What a loser, man. I can't believe he forgot his dang bag."

"I can carry it, Sho," Daichi offered, holding his hand out to him.

Sho shook his had, smiling. "Nah, it's ok. I got it. He'll pick it up when we catch up. I'm sure he will."

Asuka scoffed. "What a jerk, though." She shrugged but they followed Judai to the park entrance. He was practically jumping in joy, holding the tickets in his hand. As soon as they had all gathered, he handed the tickets to the lady within the ticket booth and hurried inside, the others following him quickly.

"Which one should we go on first?!" Judai said. He looked around quickly, unable to make up his mind "Maybe we should go on the tallest one first!"

Sho immediately paled when Judai suggested it and Daichi noticed. "U-uh, Judai, perhaps we should warm up to it first. After all, I've never been to an amusement park before."

Asuka picked up on it instantly. "He's right. We wouldn't want to leave early cause Daichi got sick, do you?"

Hearing this, Judai calmed down a bit. "No, that wouldn't be cool at all. Well, we'll start small and work our way up!" He grabbed Daichi's arm and started pulling him away to a ride. "This one is a perfect warm up!"

Daichi went on every ride with a smile on his face. He had never spent time with anyone like this. Naturally, he could have done so with his parents, but it happened such a long time ago. Besides, it was better when he was with friends. Sho handled himself on the rides better than he had expected. It was quite impressive to him.

"Daichi," Asuka said sternly, grabbing him by his shoulder. When Daichi glanced at her, she pointed over to the dueling center of the amusement park. "Manjoume's here." He looked over, spotting the man in question walking into the duel arena. He grimaced but he said nothing about it. "Judai might want to go there, so let's make sure he doesn't."

"Judai plays Duel Monsters?"

She nodded. "He does, but not as much as he would like to. Anyway, enough about that. Let's just make sure he doesn't want to."

Although it didn't seem fair to Judai, he truthfully didn't want to go and see Manjoume after the other day. If he saw him, his curiosity would ignite. He would have to question the bruise and the stitches and, truthfully, he wasn't sure if he could keep his questions to himself. Daichi didn't want to pry into his business; no matter how much he itched to ask him. "I will, but perhaps it would be best for him to go on and us go our separate ways. We could get what we both want, after all."

Asuka frowned, but she knew he was right. "We'll do it if he mentions it. After that, we split up and have fun without worrying about seeing Manjoume's crude face." They nodded in agreement and at that moment, Judai and Sho returned to them, carrying slices of pizza with them.

"We're back! I hope you two don't mind pepperoni," Sho said, holding up a plate for Daichi to take.

"Not only that, but we're going to head for the duel arena, too!" He quickly pushed Asuka's plate in her hand so that he could chomp on to his. "They say that the big shot, Manjoume Jun, is gonna be here! I need to duel him, no matter what. If I can duel and beat him, I can one day take on the King of Games!" Judai wore such a large grin on his face. He was more than excited to go in and duel Manjoume and it seemed wrong to take it away from him.

Daichi wasn't sure if he could take it away from him.

"Listen, Judai, we can't-"

"Of course we can, Asuka," he quickly interrupted. Asuka gave him a strange look, but he paid no mind to it. "You won the tickets for us, so it's only natural that we do what you want for today." Judai practically jumped into the air. He shoved the rest of his pizza into his mouth and rush off to the arena, leaving them once again. Asuka frowned at him, her brow furrowing. "I'm sorry, Asuka, but... I couldn't keep that from him."

She sighed. "Fine... but we don't have to go if you don't want to."

"No, I... I want to go and see if they duel."

Sho looked between the two of them, unsure of the information they were exchanging. "Is something wrong? Maybe something me and Judai should know about?"

Asuka smiled, patting Sho's head. "Oh no, not at all. Just some stuff about school, you know?"

He pouted, looking down at the ground. "Actually, I don't know."

Even Daichi had to admit he felt the pain he may have felt. "L-lets' go and watch Judai duel. I'm sure it would be fun!" Sho gave him a small smile, but it was clear to see that he was still quite gloomy. Finishing up their pizzas, they quickly followed Judai's path to the arena. It was bigger than Daichi had expected. From afar, it looked quite small. Although, to house so much equipment, this size was a necessity. Upon walking in, they reached a crowd of various children and teenagers. They could see Judai up ahead and they did their best to politely make their way through the crowd to catch up to him.

"Oh, come on! You have to duel me!"

"I don't have to do anything, you slacker of a duelist."

That was a voice that made Asuka roll her eyes and Daichi grimace. They finally reached the front of the crowd, spying Judai being blocked by two bodyguards. Manjoume stood behind them, a hand on his hip.

"Why not?" Judai asked, a pout on his face.

"I came here to watch people duel; not duel myself. If you want to duel, you'll have to join the next competition. If you don't, well, it sucks for you, doesn't it?"

"Oh come on, Manjoume! You're not being fair!" Asuka spoke out, unable to contain herself. Manjoume's eyes wandered over the trio. Daichi wasn't sure if his own eyes were messing up, but he could have sworn his eyes widened slightly when he saw him. "Just give him a chance! He's been waiting to duel you for a while."

Manjoume glared at Asuka, snorting. "You really want me to duel your boyfriend that badly?"

"He's not my-"

"Fine. But don't yell at me if he loses and cries to you," Manjoume said with a huff.

Before Asuka could retort again, Manjoume was already walking further into the arena. Daichi could feel the anger coming off her and did his best to calm her down. It did little to help, though. "Ugh! Go and beat him, Judai! I'm tired of that egotistical jerk."

Judai grinned at her, quickly wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Hey, don't you worry! I'm the best duelist in my school. I'm sure I can beat this guy. Sure, he's a champion, but that's all he is! It doesn't mean he's hard to beat or anything."

"Uh, Judai-" Daichi quickly patted Sho's shoulder, making him stop before he could continue. They were all confident that Judai would do his best... but his odds against Manjoume seemed quite low. "I mean, sure! You can do it!"

With a grin, Judai quickly hurried after Manjoume. The others had no choice but to quickly follow. The crowd became excited to see Manjoume duel and they all wanted the best seats to see it all happen. They hurried to a pair of seats behind Judai, having been put there by the push of the crowd. It was where they wanted to go, but they would have liked it if they weren't hurried to the seats. As they sat down, Manjoume and Judai took their spots. The utilities being used were one of the first generation of dueling equipment built by Kaiba Corp. It wasn't as fancy as the duel discs many duelist used but it was better than nothing.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time, Manjoume," Judai said, his grin never leaving his face.

Manjoume only yawned at the statement. He truly looked bored and unafraid. "Whatever. Let's just finish this up quickly."

Daichi knew the basics of the game from watching a few small tournaments on TV, but he had never seen a champion fighting someone inexperienced. Then again, he wasn't sure what Judai's experience was. He was going to find out now, though. He took a deep breath as the duel started and stared intensely at the two duelists. At first, it seemed that Manjoume had Judai on the line. At this rate, if Judai didn't attack back soon, he would lose.

And then it happened.

Judai had made a comeback that surprised the entire crowd. He chipped away at Manjoume's life points and right when he was about to win...

... the power went out.

The crowd all gasped or screamed, shocked by the turn of events. "Everyone, please remain calm. The duel arena is experiencing a power outage. Please remain in your seats to prevent injury."

"Aw man... Right when Judai was about to win, too..." Sho mumbled, resting his chin in his hand.

"That's fine. Judai will get him as soon as the lights come back on," Asuka assured, nudging Sho with her elbow.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

Looking up, they watched as Manjoume jumped down from the raised platform, being caught by one of his bodyguards. "I don't have time for this. I have other places I have to go to and being stuck here isn't one of them." He started for the exit of the arena. "Like I said, if you really want to duel me, come to tournaments. That's the only way I'll do it."

He wasn't five steps into the exit when the lights turned back on. By then, everyone had become disappointed at the loss of the duel finishing. The crowd slowly disappeared. Daichi, Asuka, and Sho waited in their seats for them to leave and for Judai to collect his cards. They quickly rushed over to him, ready to comfort their disappointed friend. "You okay, Judai?" Sho asked as he came down from the duel terminal.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Judai asked. Daichi tried to find any sort of disappointment in his face. No matter how hard he tried or how long he looked, he couldn't see it. Judai wasn't disappointed that their duel couldn't be continued. He truly was a happy-go-lucky guy. "There's always another chance to duel, Manjoume, y'know. Maybe not in a tournament, but the next time he comes to Kaiba Land for sure!"

Judai grinned as he and Sho gave each other a high-five. When Daichi thought about it, Judai was an inspiration to look up to. To one day be happy without anything bothering you for long. Who wouldn't want that?

Asuka looked at her watch. "Hey, we hardly went on all the rides and the park is closing soon! We gotta hurry if we want to go on them all." The didn't need to hear it twice. They darted out of the arena as fast as they could, discussing which ride they should go on next. Asuka and Daichi laughed as they left.

"They sure are one of a kind," Daichi commented.

"They are." She hooked their arms together and pulled him along to continue their day.

Night had fallen and the park was closing. Once again, they were on the road to go home. Daichi sat in the front this time while Sho slept in the back, leaning against Asuka for comfort. It was good that they were on their way home but Daichi preferred the open air the most. It just felt wonderful on his skin. He wouldn't mind doing this again sometime soon. Especially with the company he was with. This was probably what rock stars felt like when they started their tour. On the road with those they cared about.

"I really thought that you would win today, Judai," Daichi said quietly, resting his cheek in his hand.

Judai laughed, glancing at him. "You think so? It would have been really great if I did!"

Daichi laughed with him. "The game seems pretty interesting. As you two dueled, I couldn't help but feel like that there was... an equation waiting for me to solve within it."

"Oh, right. I keep forgetting that's how you think." He grinned, looking at Daichi. "Well, how about we get you a couple of card packs! There's a store in the city that has them. We can buy a few and I can bring some the next time we hang out. You can take them and make your own deck."

"Oh, Judai, I can't ask you for that."

"Hey, it's fine!" he assured, shoving his shoulder. "It's all spare cards that I don't need for my deck. It's perfect as it is and they're just collecting dust. Might as well go to some use!"

He smiled. "That would be nice. Thank you, Judai."

"Hey, don't mention it. It'll be fun! Sho and I can show you the works."

The rest of the drive was quiet. Occasionally, Asuka or Sho woke up and asked where they were before falling back asleep. The city appeared in the distance and it was only twenty minutes before they were back home. Judai drove through the streets before parking in front of a small store.

He unbuckled his seat belt and jumped out of the car. "Be right back." Daichi reached out to stop him but he was already in the store before he could do so. He waited ten or twenty minutes before Judai ran out of the store, a bag in his hand. He tossed it into Daichi's lap and jumped back into the car. "There you go!"

Daichi opened the bag and looked inside. There were more packs of cards than he could imagine. "Judai, you didn't have to pay for all these. I would have done it."

"It's fine. Anything to have more dueling friends!" Judai started the car again and took off down the road. "They're beginner packs so you'll have to do some research and build the deck on your own. Of course, if you need help, me and Sho will help ya!"

He smiled at him. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it." They arrived at Daichi's home and he, reluctantly, left the vehicle. "Text me if you need any help."

"Thank you. I'll be sure to do that. Good night, Judai. It was fun."

"It totally was! Later!"

Daichi waved as the brunette drove off with the sleeping duo. He raised his arms above his head, stretching himself out, then walked back to his home. "I'm home," he announced as he closed the door behind him. He walked into the living room, finding his parents gone. Daichi frowned at this and started to look around for a note. Walking into the kitchen, he found it pinned to the fridge.

'We went out for dinner. Your mother has done such a good job at keeping well that I thought she deserved it. Help yourself to the leftovers or order out if you're hungry. See you later. -Dad'

He crumbled up the note and tossed it in the trash. Since he was alone, he saw no better time to work on his deck. He rushed upstairs and brought his laptop to the floor along with a yellow pad and pen. One by one he ripped open the packs and looked up various cards he believed could help him. Whatever he didn't have, he would ask Judai for later. This was a deck that was perfect for him; he just knew it.

~*~*~

During the drive home, Manjoume knew that there was an upcoming issue back at home. It wouldn't surprise him if his brothers knew of his earlier duel. If they did, he would know how he almost lost. If they knew that... then he knew what he was in store for. The limo stopped at the door to his home. With a deep sigh, he stepped out when the door opened for him and walked up the stairs.

The door loomed before him and he could sense the threatening aura behind it. He knew they were home, but he hoped that they would be busy with work in their offices to bother with him. If he was lucky, they wouldn't be waiting for him. His hands shook as he gripped the doorknob and let himself in.

"Hello, little brother."

Why did he think that it would be easy? "Hello." Manjoume tried to push through his brothers, but they stopped him. They each gripped a shoulder tighter than he would liked. It was clear that he would have bruises from this. "What'd I do this time?"

"We heard about your little duel," Shoji answered, malice in his voice.

Chosaku chuckled. "We heard how badly you did at the end, too."

"So? It's not like I lost." Shoji placed a firm hand on his little brother's chest and shoved him backwards. They watched as he stumbled to reclaim his foot until finally falling on his ass.

"It doesn't matter if you didn't lose! You shouldn't have gotten so close to losing in the first place!" he yelled, advancing on the fallen boy. Grabbing him by the front of his shirt. Shoji pulled him to his feet and dragged him up the stairs. Chosaku followed close behind as they made their way to the trophy room. Once there, he shoved Manjoume inside. "Do you see all those trophies?"

Manjoume looked up. There weren't just his trophies adorning the shelves and cases in the room. Chosaku and Shoji had done their fair share of winning in various events. All the dueling trophies, though, were his. "Yeah, I see them..."

"Your job is to keep filling it up, no matter what the cost," Chosaku continued.

"Even if you have to cheat, you better keep it up! If you don't..."

Manjoume felt a chill run up his spine and his heart stopped. "If I don't...?"

He swore he could hear his brother's smirk at his question. "A black eye isn't all you have to worry about if you lose."

He refused to look at them. Manjoume knew that they weren't joking. They would hurt him in ways he could never imagine. "I'll... I'll do better next time..."

"Hmph. Good."

As he listened to their footsteps disappear down the hall, Manjoume curled in on himself. He wondered what others outside of the home thought about their family. Did they think that they were perfect and kind to each other? That living here would be amazing? They would never think that this place was a nightmare for him. They would never think that they tortured him here every single day.

If only they knew.


End file.
